It's finally time to take care of the gladioli bulbs. I stored them in the refrigerator in a cardboard box over the winter. On April 20th, I took them out, peeled off the outer skin, and carefully examined each bulb. The gladioli had survived the winter well; the outer skin was dry, clean, and free of mold. Almost all the bulbs were firm, some already sprouting, and root nodules were emerging from the bottoms.
I threw out several of them right away – the bulbs were dry and had dark spots.
I placed the rest in a bowl and, to prevent fungal and bacterial infections, poured a warm pink solution of potassium permanganate over them. I kept the bulbs in this solution for three hours.
Dark spots can often be found on bulbs. I'm not sure exactly why they appear; it could be a disease like fusarium or scab, or pests like wireworms chewing holes in the bulb.
In the fall, when I dug up my gladioli, I had to remove wireworms that had burrowed into the bulbs. I treated the gladioli with an Epin solution last fall. This time, I have four bulbs with spots. These spots need to be cleaned, cut out with a knife, and coated with brilliant green.
After treatment, I placed the gladioli on a tray and placed them on a shelf in the room with the seedlings. The light from the window illuminates the bulbs so they can germinate.
Some gardeners germinate bulbs in damp sawdust to speed up root growth. I plant my gladioli in the soil in mid-May, or even later if the weather is cool. I don't want the roots to grow quickly. Three to four days before planting, I simply place a damp cloth under the bulbs, and the roots will begin to grow more vigorously. You can also place the bulbs on damp soil, and the roots will immediately begin to grow.
Last year I planted gladioli babies in a separate box.
I dug them up in the fall, and the bulblets grew into small bulblets. I'll plant them separately from the other gladioli, perhaps in a box as well. I don't think they'll bloom this year; they'll likely bloom in the third year.
I also have some tiny baby bulbs. I planted them immediately in a pot, covered them with a plastic bag, and when the shoots appear, I'll grow them on the windowsill. I plan to grow them in the same pot all summer.
I like growing gladioli, I don’t think they are a capricious flower, the corms are stored well in the refrigerator.
Gladioli grow quickly and bloom profusely in all the colors of the rainbow, decorating our dacha.
Very beautiful flowers!